Times cryptic chess clue

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Gordon Morse
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Gordon Morse » Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:35 am

Set piece
I was a victim of a series of accidents, as are we all.

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Geoff Chandler » Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:00 am

A clue in the METRO a few days was a bird needin' air?

Following advice from a cryptic solver I do the obvious/easy ones first and then do the trickier ones.
This one got a 20 second thought before moving on.

The Chandler house is a shrine to Chess and Puffins (tea towels, mugs, pictures, cushions, fridge magnets, egg cups...)
My crazy daughter even has a Puffin tattooed on her arm! and yet I only 'got it' after getting the 'i'.

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John Upham
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by John Upham » Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:53 am

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:00 am
The Chandler house is a shrine to Chess and Puffins (tea towels, mugs, pictures, cushions, fridge magnets, egg cups...)
My crazy daughter even has a Puffin tattooed on her arm! and yet I only 'got it' after getting the 'i'.
I believe that Jeremy Clarkson has a soft spot for Puffins.

There is one crossing the road not far from me.
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Paul Habershon
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Paul Habershon » Sun Aug 22, 2021 10:59 pm

Two from today's Sunday Times Cryptic 4969.

Black's Tal? Ignore opening and just castle! (8)
- A - M - - - L
Tal World Champion 60 years ago but scarcely a household name here. Of course, you don't need to know anything about chess to solve the clue.

Musical compositions from Kings? (6)
- I - C - S
Just basic chess nomenclature needed here. I suppose a non-cryptic solver would think CAROLS.

Simon Brown
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Simon Brown » Wed Sep 01, 2021 5:38 pm

Today's Times Cryptic; "Something to eat when one of the minions entertains king (5)"

Mike Alderson
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Mike Alderson » Wed Sep 01, 2021 11:54 pm

Prawn

Paul Habershon
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Paul Habershon » Thu Sep 02, 2021 1:29 pm

Sunday Times 29th August

Fellow in tie carrying book (10)

STABLEMATE

Definition: STABLEMATE (=fellow)
Cryptic: B (abbreviation for book) inside STALEMATE (=tie)

I mention it because we folk use 'draw' not 'tie' for stalemate. I suppose it is a tie, so fair enough. Other definitions are available, e.g. impasse.

Reg Clucas
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Reg Clucas » Sun Sep 12, 2021 4:02 pm

My local free advertiser paper had the following crossword clue this week - "Adolescents throw knight in river (5)"

Mike Alderson
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Mike Alderson » Sun Sep 12, 2021 4:19 pm

Teens

Paul Habershon
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Paul Habershon » Sun Sep 12, 2021 5:06 pm

Reg Clucas wrote:
Sun Sep 12, 2021 4:02 pm
My local free advertiser paper had the following crossword clue this week - "Adolescents throw knight in river (5)"
+ Mike Alderson's answer TEENS

It's quite something to expect solvers of a non-specialist cryptic crossword to know N for knight.
Setters of The Times crossword expect it too.

Paul Habershon
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Paul Habershon » Sun Sep 26, 2021 8:44 pm

Friday 24th September Times:
1ac First to move the panel, shifting piece of junk (5, 8)
WHITE ELEPHANT - anagram of 'the panel' (shifting) following the required chess knowledge - white first to move. I hadn't seen that before in a cryptic crossword.

Paul Habershon
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Paul Habershon » Sun Sep 26, 2021 8:49 pm

Paul Habershon wrote:
Sun Sep 26, 2021 8:44 pm
Friday 24th September Times:
1ac First to move the panel, shifting piece of junk (5, 8)
WHITE ELEPHANT - anagram of 'the panel' (shifting) following the required chess knowledge - white first to move. I hadn't seen that before in a cryptic crossword.
That's supposed to be (5, eight) but it came out with a smilie that I tried to edit out - unsuccessfully. Weird! It was the number eight on my preview.

NickFaulks
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by NickFaulks » Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:27 pm

Paul Habershon wrote:
Sun Sep 26, 2021 8:44 pm
Friday 24th September Times:
1ac First to move the panel, shifting piece of junk (8, 5)
WHITE ELEPHANT - anagram of 'the panel' (shifting) following the required chess knowledge - white first to move. I hadn't seen that before in a cryptic crossword.
That worked, but (5, 8) didn't. Very odd. Clever, this new technology.
Last edited by NickFaulks on Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ian Thompson
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Ian Thompson » Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:29 pm

Paul Habershon wrote:
Sun Sep 26, 2021 8:49 pm
Paul Habershon wrote:
Sun Sep 26, 2021 8:44 pm
Friday 24th September Times:
1ac First to move the panel, shifting piece of junk (5, 8)
WHITE ELEPHANT - anagram of 'the panel' (shifting) following the required chess knowledge - white first to move. I hadn't seen that before in a cryptic crossword.
That's supposed to be (5, eight) but it came out with a smilie that I tried to edit out - unsuccessfully. Weird! It was the number eight on my preview.
Ticking "Disable smilies" would have done it, as you can see.

NickFaulks
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by NickFaulks » Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:40 pm

Ian Thompson wrote:
Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:29 pm
Ticking "Disable smilies" would have done it, as you can see.
That is helpful and valuable advice, but aren't smilies supposed to be there only when you ask for them?
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

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